


Trip Into Winterland

by Milight



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Frenemies Dib & Zim (Invader Zim), Gen, Hypothermia, Medical Inaccuracies, Post-Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, ZADE, ZADF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24340498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milight/pseuds/Milight
Summary: Zim and Dib get a field trip and get lost in the woods of winter.
Relationships: Dib & Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	Trip Into Winterland

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a one-shot about Zim and Dib being idiots and getting themselves into trouble.

Dib sighed as he sat down the front row of the school bus, slumping down at the hard brown two-seated chair. He can hear the chatters behind him, all gossiping about whatever they see on their social media or just whatever. The bus driver was sleeping, visibly drooling at the steering wheel. And their teacher, Ms. Bitters, was standing beside the doorway, grumbling about children being late and sending them to the sharks. Dib was bored and immediately settled his laptop to his lap, opening it for his documentation on a Yeti. 

Apparently, they have a mandatory field trip, because children need to learn more than inside their Skool. The educational system had it on their curriculum, so this was planned. For his other skoolmates, it would be a boring trip down to the forest. For Dib, it was a nightmare away or with his nemesis. Zim could either be going absent and plan on world domination or he would join this mandatory trip that every child has to go. 

And did he mention about today’s season is winter? And it was an extreme of -5 degrees? That means all students and adults have their own thick-cotton jackets to wear for their three-day camping. Dib wondered if the people who made the curriculum even cared for the sake of the children’s future at all. Dib has worn himself a thick-clotted of a plain blue jacket and a red scarf for his neck. Particularly, every time this extreme winter appears, he doesn’t wear his iconic trench coat for it due to laughable fashion reasons. So this time, inside his jacket was the ghost-themed sweater he got from his (surprisingly) sister last Christmas. That is, after the massive incident about him and Zim fighting from between ruling the world with his costumed Santa Claus and him protecting the planet by being another scapegoat. 

About Gaz? She was in the lower grades and they don’t get to go on trips at that age. She must’ve been lucky herself she gets to stay at home playing and not worrying for three days about her brother accidentally messing with her. For him, though, was that dad insisted on participating in the curriculum because he needed it for him to get to the next grade level. Despite that Dib could’ve accelerated his IQ to a college type since he can invent and think like a reasonable and logical adult. 

Dib tried to avert his concentration to his thesis on Yeti and Vampires, but Zim conquering the planet is much more necessary than camping for education when he can do things any child couldn’t. He closed the laptop and hid it back to his bag. He was about to go slip out of the bus until Ms. Bitters said the last late student just arrived and they were just about to leave. 

And that last student is none other than Zim. 

The invader still wears the same uniform he had every day. No jacket or any accessory that was unusual for him to wear. Dib was glad but his suspiciousness lingers. 

“Alright, Zim,” Ms. Bitters voiced as Zim just stood beside her, confused to where he would sit since, what Dib saw, most of the seats were occupied. 

Except- 

“You get to seat with Dib.” 

How unlucky Dib is? It’s immeasurable. 

“WHAT?!” Zim shouted while Ms. Bitters was growling in intimidation as she glared at the alien. Zim shrunk from it and just accepted his fate. Zim rudely pushed Dib to the end of the window seat, finally sitting down and crossing his arms. Dib grumbled about wanting to get out of the bus. 

Zim heard him grumbling and thought it was an insult to him. 

“What did you say to Zim, Dib-stink?!” His ear-splitting volume always never ceases to amaze Dib of how can he still speak without straining the invader’s vocal chords. “I said I want to jump out of the window. I’m deciding to kick you out instead since you’re being so annoying,” Dib said truthfully, half-heartedly joking because he can do that. But that’ll cause mayhem and he’ll be the criminal of the crime, again. 

Zim was fuming, glaring with great disdain and hatred. Then, he lashed out. Dib avoided the punch at the last second before falling down the seat, uncomfortable slumping down at the floor between a bus table that was in front of his seating. Zim was cackling and the other students were laughing at his position, at least the students who can see him down at the floor. 

Dib deadpanned after the students were done laughing going back to their business. “Seriously? You got mad at me because I just joked?” 

“Clearly, that was not a joke, Dib-idiot. It was a ruse to fool me into thinking you would try to kick me out of the window,” He explained with his arrogance showing out as he had his hands on his hips, posing dramatically while sitting. 

“Isn’t that suppose to be a joke?” 

“It is NOT. There is a clear difference.” 

“Uh-huh,” Dib sarcastically agreed, not wanting to make Zim any angrier than he already is. 

Dib just sent him a look and got back up. He went to his seat and shut his mouth for the rest of the departure. Zim also did it too. He rather concentrated on viewing the outside from the window, but all he got was a land of piled snow that was outside of their town. Just a few more hours till they get to the campsite, Dib will rush away from his nemesis and stalk on him to make sure if he had plans for their trip. Like what happened last time with the moose. 

The boy couldn’t handle the noises inside the bus and his awkward silence between Zim and him that it was almost impossible to not notice it. They both can tell the tension of sitting each other is high, with Zim’s anger management and egoistic and Dib’s paranoia and hatred for his enemy. 

Dib got to break the silence first, incapable of waiting long enough to keep questioning the evil plans Zim must have been doing right now on this trip. “What’s your plan, huh?” 

Zim squinted at him, giving him a confused look. “Eh?” 

“You can’t fool me, Zim,” He blurted. Whatever trick Zim is up to, he can’t afford to just not say it. “You’re planning something for this field trip. What’s next? Robot disaster? Or another Moose realm?” His childishness seemed to not take this seriously, but in his perspective he sounded like it. 

Zim scrunched to a scowl. “Zim doesn’t have any plan. Yet.” The last word had Zim smirking gravely, like a villain thinking something evil. Dib glared but stopped when he processed what he said, “So, you don’t have a plan at all?” 

“Pfft, not yet. Zim just cooperated in your very important human child tradition thing. To which I am a human, of course,” Zim added the last part a quick second. And Dib knows it’s partly true since he has to obnoxiously prove himself to be human as them. 

“Huh,” Dib shrugged, leaning back against the seat and sideway glanced at the window. There was still a field of snow and the blizzard getting stronger as the snowflakes kept falling more. He can feel the cold just from the window gap seeping the air inside but the auxiliary heater holds it off as it can. 

With nothing to do except taking a view of bland snow, he plucked out his laptop from his bag. He can see Zim glance at him opening the power on the laptop before Dib gave him a look of annoyance and shifted to move farther from him. He heard Zim scoff and fiddled with whatever on his arm. Turns out, it was a comm. 

“GIR! I command you to repair the Voot. Minimoose, assist him,” He hissed in a low voice, though for anyone who has decent ears can be heard from a mile away. Dib deadpanned, eavesdropping on Zim’s call while checking his research. It was about nothing but explaining his ship repairs and damages, but it was somehow useful in case if that ever happens in his own/Tak’s ship. Dib typed what Zim was saying about the damages at his Yeti research. It didn’t take long for Zim to abruptly stop talking and take a look at Dib. 

At Dib’s vision, he realized too late when Zim slapped away his laptop off of his lap with great force. The result was he broke the screen, but the good part was that it was still running. 

“How dare you listen in to my secrets!” Zim shouted, glaring daggers at him. Fortunately, nobody seemed to bother them about how Zim just screamed inside a bus. Ms. Bitters from the other side of the front row was creepily gritting her teeth, looking exasperated. 

Dib backtracked from his decision to make a sarcastic remark and just huffed angrily. He picked up his laptop and looked back at Zim’s fake crystal eyes and lied to his face. “I wasn’t listening to your ‘secret’ at all. I was typing about my paranormal research.” And stupid enough, Zim squinted, either confused with the term ‘paranormal’ or skeptical about his statement. 

“Now, quit your yelling or we’re both dead to Ms. Bitters,” He whispered with a tinge of irritation. Zim quite understood the situation, because Ms. Bitters is scary to even scare Zim, and pouted as he slouched back to his seat while muttering in Irken language. Dib rolled his eyes and went back to the screen. Dad can fix this in no time when he gets back home, nothing to worry about. He picked another document to avoid Zim peeking to his laptop that may verify his suspicion towards his lie. After that, he started typing what he was supposed to do. 

An hour and a half passed, Dib and Zim were starting to jump down to each other’s throats, all because they couldn’t stand even for fifteen minutes. If they had been going on this for long, Ms. Bitters must’ve been sleeping. Or else they would be punished dearly. 

“You lowly brain meat sack! Zim has done nothing to you!” 

“Then why did you smack me by the head?!” 

“You’ve done this to yourself, Dib-stink! YOU LIED!” 

“What?!” 

“About listening to my evil secrets!” 

“N- Well maybe-” 

“Hah! See? You lie you stupid living being of a human!” 

“It wasn’t that secretive anyways. Besides, you talk too loud.” 

“Zim does not!” 

“Uh-huh!” 

“NO!” 

“Alright!” That is the last argument when the bus driver exasperatedly hollered. The rivals halted their fighting when they both heard a guttural growling just in front of them. They cowered and silenced themselves, both turning away from each other. Dib peered to the window and sees there were a dozen of old wooden toilets, its ground and inside were covered with large clumps of snow. 

The students weren’t listening to the driver’s call, so Ms. Bitters had to take care of it. 

She sent a frightening ‘Ahem’ loudly, resulting in all heads face to their teacher. Dib jerked and shut the laptop close, putting it to his bag. 

“You pesky children leave this bus and go to your low-quality service of your ‘comfort’ rooms. NOW.” That earned a lot of rapid nods and quickly moved out of the bus by line (Ms. Bitters was angry at the sight of children being messy and idiotic) despite some children still weren’t in for going to the toilet. Dib and Zim tried to shove themselves off while walking out the bus, probably annoyed a couple of students when they were affected by their pushing. 

The moment they were all out, the boy and the alien moved out of the crowd and started another banter. 

This escalated when Dib questioned him, “How are you not freezing right now?” 

“Foolish humans, you all just don’t have thick skin as much as mine and the fact we have different biological data, you smelly piece of a human idiot!” 

He secretly whooped in the success that another information about the Irkens has been added to the list. But he also can’t forget about his childishness on retaliating his archnemesis. “Shut it, you alien scum who was also named the Spaceboy-who-did-not-plan-anything-cause-he's-incompetent.” Though that wasn’t exactly true. Zim had already made himself a real threat when he teleported the entire Earth to some part of the galaxy and accidentally created some sort of weird black hole called Florpus. That happened just after a month and people acted like there weren’t a life-threatening galaxy invasion that happened at the time. 

That insult was enough for Zim to shove him again, hard. Dib was thrown at the ground but prevailed as he pushed back. To his dismay, Zim had some kind of alien strength that he just moved him a few steps away. The invader looked outraged, grinding his somewhat sharp teeth. Dib did the same, with hand clenching tightly for readying a punch, also furious that he only managed to push lesser than Zim. 

It was then they fought down to the woods, starting with Zim tackling Dib to the snow and both pulling themselves to the woods as they kept quarreling. This was also joined with remarks and insults. Rather some of it was not making sense. 

“Screw you, you alien scum!” 

“NO! IT is you who screws more!” 

And when they were farther from the bus, Zim decided to have fun. 

He smiled darkly as Dib hears the whirring of mechanical legs being released inside the PAK. That was when the boy backed away for a bit, intimidated with Zim rising up as the legs lifted him from the snowy ground. He can almost reach the top of the tree if it weren’t for his short stature. Zim shadowed the sun in front of Dib, giving him a terrifying view of an alien with spider-like metal legs looming over a twelve-year-old boy. 

He was about to stand up against him until Zim extended out another PAK leg. Instead of the normal metal leg like the rest, it was cut short and had a hole. Dib recognized as a kind of alien technology, it was a blaster. 

Dib took a sprint as it took a shot. He glanced very shortly to find the snow where he was positioned had been burned into ashes. He then sees Zim approaching him and started dashing through the woods. 

If he watches any horror thrilling movies, is that he was doing what every victim is right now. Running away from the monster even though he was lost in the middle of the forest, cold and hard to lift his legs to run faster due to the lumps of snow sometimes getting into his way. He can hear the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the metal moving through it. Zim laughed malignantly, his echoes of it can be sounded very scarily. 

Dib fumbled in his jacket or pockets, searching for any weapons he had with him. 

To his not luck, Dib had none. 

Mildly childishly cursing, he finds a place where there were no trees covering his vision from his sprinting. 

And where he’s at the end of a cliff. 

Dib staggered back from the edge, cautious. At the fall, there was sleet of ice below, either hard or thin, Dib could die at any rate. 

And then there’s Zim. 

Just as Dib about to dart the other way, he’d been lifted up from the ground from something behind clinging to his jacket. Dib struggled to reach his back, attempting to remove the pointy metallic leg. But Zim beat him to it. 

With a swift swivel of the leg to lock his hazel eyes to Zim’s, who looked very peeved yet maliciously grinning. Dib uselessly moved his legs to try and kick the Irken’s face, but his momentum and panic aren’t good. 

“Finally, Dib-stink. Zim has captured you to your vengeful death!” Dib felt like gulping because as he keeps struggling and Zim cackling, the PAK legs began to arch forward, to where the edge of the cliff. 

His breathing was rapid and shallow, cold sweating with trepidation. On his ground was a building story of the height, falling into instantaneous death from the thick ice or the freezing water. Now, Dib instinctively held onto the PAK leg, not wanting for Zim to let go. 

“Zim, don’t you dare-“ 

“Too late, meat sack,” Zim growled, just as he was shortening the length of the specific leg where Dib was stuck. That’s the point where Dib roared and quickly punched Zim to the face. 

This causes Zim to stumble, along with the PAK legs. 

One leg slipped off, resulting in a tumble in balance. 

And the pair falling to the cliff. 

Dib immediately stopped breathing, the cold breeze whipped across his face and body as he kept falling. His eyes were too wide, frozen, and looking at the sky in front of him. His mind wasn’t focusing on anything, the panic helping it discourage to focus at all. He felt the bile rising up from nausea. 

A sudden halt at the whisk of air gone and Dib was shaken as something a part of him getting stuck. And it was suffocating him. He was stuck on a branch of the cliff, barely holding to Dib’s weight. And the one that stuck to it was his scarf, making him strangle on the neck from the gravity wanting him to fall down but the scarf and the branch kept him from going down. He can see the ground of ice from below, and where the alien he saw at his vision was about to- 

A loud reverberating crack had been entered into Dib’s ears. A subconscious wince from the sound it, was very painful. 

On the other hand was his scarf kept sticking on the branch. And this is where he should prioritize the most. Forgetting the crack below, he got into a scuffle of untangling the long red article off of his neck. His brain was able to formulate a way to get it out and that’s slipping it out of his head. 

Despite his big head, he tried to push and pull the scarf above, releasing a good amount of force from his arms. And when he had the bit of success in moving it a little, he was able to take it off. He knew what was below him, so he latched on to the scarf hanging to the branch, which was clearly breaking. He scanned the area and saw a pile of snow just at the side of the ice. He then looked back to where the crack he had heard. 

His mind was now capable of anything now since he controlled his situation. And the one that was on the cracked hard ice was Zim, who froze when he sees the spider-like crack growing more from where he lays down. 

“Zim! Do not move!” Dib yelled, gripping the scarf harder from slipping to the ground of slippery ice. He didn’t know why he said that, nor why did he try to help the alien out. But if his instincts were anything about saving a life, then it must be the anxiety and dread that was filling his thoughts. For himself and the one who was about to die. 

Zim snapped his head to Dib’s direction, his face was constricted and firm. He must be fearing of what’s below the ice, which Dib just realized. 

“As if I would listen to you!” Zim backlashed, in which the ice gave a final sound of the crack. 

It led to Zim plummeting to the icy water as it breaks into pieces, scattering and floating from its melted water. 

An involuntary gasp escaped from Dib and with no more hesitation, he swung the scarf backward before getting the momentum to reach the snow pile. But when he did, the branch snapped, joining the scarf and branch to him. He landed roughly but safely, with the branch hitting his head and the scarf left at the snow. He rubbed the top of his head and hastily got out of the hill of snow. 

His breath sped up and his heart picking up with fast beats. His brain immediately calculates his way of taking Zim out of the water. But when it fell blank, he felt lost. A puff from his chest, he removed the jacket and glasses to drop on the snow with a spark of determination. He took a deep breath and stayed with a good amount of oxygen inside his lungs. 

He ran and plunged inside the hole of the sleet. 

An instant flinch produced from his skin, feeling like it coldly burned. His body was freezing like _hell_ as if it wanted to stop and rise up. The clothing did not help to warm him, though. But his thoughts were all occupied, thinking on the only target as to why he just swam into a –5-degree water. He forcefully gritted his teeth, grounding him enough to focus on the objective. He dove deeper through and through, his burning eyes searching for a green lifeform. 

That’s when he spotted a tinge of green and pink, flailing and releasing bubbles to float, Dib followed the bubbles, the prick of his stubbornness and fixed decision, and finally grasped Zim’s wrist from his wild thrashing. 

He observed his PAK legs were gone, only an alien screaming at the top his lungs despite no sounds came out but the bubbles being produced. Zim seemed to comprehend someone touched him and turned to see Dib, verily wide-eyed. He never saw his nemesis so frightened, terror-stricken. The boy, while holding to Zim’s hand, instantaneously swam to the surface level. He was also petrified, as he exhaled out the stored oxygen after he can take it no more. Uncoordinatedly, he used all of his body parts to get it together and lift themselves to the only light at the deep nothingness of the water surrounding them. It had a little boost, giving Dib a dreaded effect of both dead bodies sinking into the freezing water. 

In a flash, Zim was already in front of him, also finally grasping Dib’s hand for him to be swimming up. He can’t discern what the alien’s face is, but he can feel the determination as he quickly treaded to the top. They worked together as they try to make it to their objective, and while trying not to freeze or burn to death separately. 

They ultimately ended to where the crack had set, both gasping for air with panicked senses. Zim dominated the lead and brought themselves to the large floating piece of ice. Zim dragged his arm to grab the ice while Dib followed suit. The pair held onto the piece like it was their lifeline, both shaking and coughing. 

For Dib, outside the water was all the more freezing and bitterly colder than inside the liquid. The chilling whispers of the wind made his soaking whole fell frozen. Like, quite literally. Because he felt like he couldn’t move at all. His fingers were numb from ever feeling the solid ice he was holding. Or at least, he held on to. His eyes lidded heavily, his brain couldn’t process what was happening. Before he knew, he can’t breathe from the constriction. 

* * *

Zim’s thoughts were all blurred, blinded by the huge flaming of his skin. He withheld his shriek, the burning was too much that he might faint. Up until the distinguished Dib-stink clutched his wrist, unable to hide his utmost fear of dying. The long-lasting burn and the human’s futile swimming got Zim on edge to push themselves farther than he did. And when they reached the surface, both were taking in the air. Zim extended his one PAK leg to the closest land and that was the cracked ice that was large for the pair to hold on to. 

The invader began treading tiredly, arms feeling limp from the sudden urge to swim up. He still had the hand of his nemesis, who looked barely to move at all. He doesn’t know why he still held him, or why he put his hand to the ice for him as the leverage. For now, since the Dib was no longer trouble, he pushed his arms to have a little strength to raise his body to the ice, careful to flip it from the force. It was slippery, almost slipped back from the polluted water before Zim used his claws to tighten his grip on the solidified water. 

He sighed in relief, not wanting to feel the burn that crept unto his body again. He checked that his wig was still on his head and his false human ocular implants intact. The downside was that they were damp from the water. Hence, he had to remove them and threw it away to the water, left floating. 

“Ha! I, Zim, have survived every Irken’s torture that humans call pungent water! Victory for Ziiim. Where are you Di-” 

He distinctly noticed something moved from his vision and tilted to find no one with him. It was then the horrifying realization struck him that _the Dib_ was supposed to be beside him. 

Zim’s victorious smile fell, his PAK malfunctioning as the leg was immediately put back inside it, and his real ocular implants started to hunt for the brat. 

That didn’t take long, though, as he looked down to the water to see the Dib-human sinking. Zim quickly released a PAK leg, despite the malfunction, and descended to get the target. Luckily, the human child just recently sank down, meaning he can get him easily without drowning himself with the _vile_ liquid. The leg caught his clothing at the front, almost jabbing to his chest. Zim controlled the leg to rise up, revealing the Dib unmoving and shivering. Usually, the Dib would try and push away the metal leg off himself, retorting some insults. But now he wasn’t, and that made Zim’s squeedilyspooch churn, yet he ignored it with another cackle. “How does it feel, Dib-beast? I have beaten you to reach the top of this water! I have won.” 

Dib replied with mumbling, drowsily looking at the alien. Which it was weird for the invader to see. 

Zim, on a spur of moment, used all the PAK legs and bolted to the nearest land of what humans call “snow”. He still had the Dib on his leg, so he didn’t have to wo- situate about him. He ended up crash landing to the soft ground of snow, along with the Dib dropping down. The legs went back inside the PAK uncontrollably, which disturbed the Irken. 

He groaned from the escapade of an Irken hell ( _that putrid water_ , Zim growled) and the mere rescue of his nemesis from it. Rubbing his throbbing head, he glanced at the Dib laid down at the pile of snow in an uncomfortable position. He’s was twitching, though, except it was weak. With his morbid sense of curiosity, he crawled near the human. 

“Dib-stink?” Zim called with an uncharacteristic slight concern. He shook the boy hard, trying to make him a sound or something that may be a sign of consciousness. 

The Dib cried in pain, mumbling nonsense. Zim took his hands away from the human after he squirmed from his grip. He opened his ugly eyes and it seemed far out of reality. Or Zim calls dazed. “What’s happening?” Dib-stink slurred, and pathetically attempted to lift his arm but it was pointless. Zim heard a meek inhale but it got caught by his coughing. Zim just stared, observing still. 

The boy spoke up again, “Wha- Z-Zim?” but this time he was shivering badly with rapid chattering of his teeth. He sees Dib-stink wrapping himself with his thin arms, curling like a scared smeet. It made Zim feel heavy. The Dib started to say things Zim doesn’t understand. Then, he tried to get on his feet but fruitlessly fell down. He kept repeating on the attempts while Zim stares with a perturbed look. When he did get to stand up, the Dib laughs feebly until he tripped onto nothing. That’s when Zim had enough and caught him by the front, which the direction he was about to fall. He stabled Dib-idiot by sitting him down forcefully. The Dib was mumbling again that even Zim’s antennae wouldn’t be capable of his hearing. He looked sleepy like humans have when it is called to be “sleep-deprived”. 

“Stop this nonsense, human stinky! You look ugly and revolting as ever. Cease this stupidity!” 

All of a sudden, the Dib lost balance and nearly plopped down the ground when Zim clasped both of his shoulders. He had his head lowered and his hair dripping wet. Zim waved his hand to Dib’s face, testing if the human can see. Dib-stink didn’t react and stayed there unmoving and not shivering anymore. The Irken was alarmed, laying him down gently 

Supposedly, from the human internet, they should check the pulse of an unconscious human to see if they’re alive or not. Hopefully, this brat will not die from something as cold water being drowned. Or else, his rescue was for nothing. 

So, he checked the left wrist, which it was unnervingly cold for a living being. Using his two of his razor-sharp fingers, he pressed them unto his wrist, and felt for the longest time, a faint couple of beats. It was weird, for him, of how on Irk can he feel a pulse on a wrist instead of the chest. 

“Computer,” Zim’s voice was hoarse and weak, he kind of winced from it. Nevertheless, the computer responded from his PAK, “Whaat?” but in a whiny tone. Zim never bothered it and commanded, “Read the vitals on the human Dib. Quickly!” 

It grumbled and a pink orb from inside his PAK flew pass him and had it scan wholly on Dib-stink’s body. Zim stood up, brushing harshly the specks of snow on his uniform with his twitchy irritation. The scan had been done for a few seconds until the orb just floated near Zim’s front. The orb shone a red hologram of the readings on the Dib’s. His heartbeats were too low for a normal human heartbeat (according to his observation on human biology). His temperature was called to be also lower than normal human temperature. His skin was visibly turning abnormally pale which in terms of human studies is the circulation of their blood stopped that supposedly causes their temperature to warm. 

But without the need for information, he can already observe that Dib looked really dead. 

“Computer, is the human still alive?” Zim asked, somehow dreading the answer. 

The orb stopped the hologram and brought another reading. “Not yet. The human has a condition labeled hypothermia. It could be lethal if you just keep standing there and not help him. Right now, he’s on the second stage of hypothermia.” 

“What?!” Zim gawked, recognizing the readings is about the description of hypothermia. “How could this even happen, computer?!” 

An exasperated sigh echoed at the orb. “Humans aren’t immune to the cold water. Especially children. He could easily die there if you guys lasted approximately ten minutes.” 

Zim recollects the memory of earlier. He saw that Dib was fine and still ugly as always. As they got to the soil, Dib began doing weird antics and his physical changes that Zim did not understand. 

He looked back at the Dib with a thoughtful look. “Agh! Blarghit,” cursed Zim as he turned to the orb. 

“Computer, how do I remedy this condition?” 

“You have to find the warmest place. The possibility of getting him into 15% of survival is to get to the nearest cave which is... here,” Zim’s comm beeped and he looked at it to see the map to get to the cave. “Get the convenient dry jacket there and wrap it around the human.” Zim gave the orb a quizzical look until the orb seemed to internally roll its eyes and moved behind him. The invader turned to where the orb is about to go and floated above the thick blue jacket laying at the pile of snow with a branch and an item of red-colored clothing that is named “scarf”. Zim remembered that Dib had those before this all happened. “Why did the Dib remove the clothes when this stupid human body needs it?” Zim muttered angrily and picked up with both articles of clothing. 

He went back to the brat, who still fell limp. He started off with blanketing Dib with the jacket, He opened the zipper, widening the clothing for the Dib to roll it like some burrito. He had the arms of the clothing tied up and tight. It was frustrating that he had to raise Dib up while putting the jacket behind him to cover his body, including getting his body and himself close to each other that it might’ve seemed intimate if they’re busted. Next, he pulled up the hood to cover his humungous head which bitterly fits. He wrapped the scarf around the neck that the computer said it is suggested to keep that part warm for the reason that the jacket wasn’t enough for the neck to warp up as much as the body. A remark muttered from Zim’s mouth about humans and their needs and tightly got the rest of it covered. 

He looked at his work fully. Basically, Dib was all well and wrapped. His face cannot be seen from the hood but he can still his temperature weren’t going up. 

“You still need something to heat him up with,” The computer added. Zim glares at the orb. “How am I supposed to do that? Zim has already done everything to keep the Dib covered.” 

“The clothing can help a bit but not enough to save himself to reach the cave. I present that he’ll have a rare chance of surviving if there’s not gonna be heat inside his body. 

Zim growled, tired he had to quickly make an idea to heat the frozen meat sack. And when he stared behind him, specifically his PAK, he had an imaginary lightbulb lightened up. The Irken now revealed all the PAK legs, along with the blaster ones. He hoisted up the brat, not forgetting to act in disgust that he was carrying his greatest enemy. And the fact that his enemy -despite the massive head- was actually light. Maybe it was because of his alien strength or humans are just completely weak. 

Then, the PAK leg blasters started blaring brightly of red, orange, and yellow. Aiming at the Dib closely, it remained like that. He didn’t shoot him or blast him to ashes (although, he really wanted to.) but just use his blasters providing the heat the human needed. 

As he trudged through the blizzard -with the orb going back inside his PAK- he muttered an insult, instantly recognizing the iconic glasses from the snow pile he left. 

“Curse you, Dib-stink. Curse you and your planet."

* * *

Dib woke up with a jolt, slowly processing his surroundings. His head was greatly throbbing, as it was more than a headache. It was eerily painful while he sits upright. If he lays down, he can feel the horrifying sensation of cold rough ground. 

His sight was blurry and rubbed the eyes as if he doesn’t have his gla- 

Of course, the glasses were gone. 

A hoarse groan escaped from his throat, every body part was extremely exhausted and possibly numb. Involuntarily, he shuddered from the sudden breeze from some direction he doesn’t know because he shuts his eyes close to even prevent them from being frozen. 

Then someone called him. Someone obviously and verily familiar. 

“Hey stinkbrain! The fire is right here.” Dib swiveled his head that was still thrumming from the immense pain. There, Zim stood behind at a messily made-up bonfire. He was holding something with the pair of his hands, all looking like… 

“I-Is that st-sticks?” Dib stammered, his teeth still chattering from the cold. Zim narrowed and scoffed, “Obviously, pathetic Earth-worm. Why do you think I need this for?” The alien dropped a bunch of sticks to the bonfire that has a couple of large logs and branches, fueling the bright reddish color of flames. 

“Now get close this fire or I‘ll drag your revolting stupid existence of a human child,” Zim demanded. In which Dib’s response is being skeptical. Thank that to his paranoia and times of how many they fight each other. 

“Why?” 

“Because your idiotic bodily needs have to have your stinking heat, Dib-stink. Zim is merely trying to let you cooperate or else, you will die here with the fact your pitiful existence died of your Earthly human weather.” 

He stared at Zim, thoughts joining to form. He recalled having to go on a field trip with his nemesis beside him. Got caught within a brawl and fallen off a cliff. Lastly, he knew he just tried to save Zim from drowning on the cold water. 

Although, he can’t handle to not correct him. “Don’t you mean season?” 

That earned an annoyed sneer and Dib sniggered a little, gaining some energy to scutter near the fire. He focused on getting his pale freezing hands on the heat. 

He can’t though because from what it looks like, he’d been wrapped up entirely. Dib began to wrestle with the jacket that had been rolled around him, unable for him to get his hands out. 

That is, until a disgruntled Zim stepped beside Dib to help him. At first, Dib sort of flinched from his grasp, Zim sending him a vexed look. “Cease your squirming, Zim is trying to assist your pathetic problem.” 

Dib huffed angrily but had no energy to talk back from the numbness and grogginess. After the invader untied the garment, Dib shifted backward to distance himself from Zim. The alien cocked an imaginary eyebrow, but shrugged it off, going back to his position. Dib shakily took off the jacket, an instant breeze hit him that it made him shiver. He wore it the way it should be worn and sighed in slight comfort that he got the zipper done. 

He let his hands sit near the fire, enveloping the warmth that absorbed them. 

Then, he slowly reached the fire with his hand too close for comfort. Zim swatted his hand away before he could react. 

“What on Irk you think you’re doing?” 

From the shock, Dib gripped his swatted hand, wide-eyed. To be honest, he didn’t why did he do that. “I-I thought I could unfreeze my hand by putting myself on fire.” He never felt stupider than now. 

“For all of the things,” Zim breathed, “That is the most stupidest statement Zim has ever heard. Especially from you, Dib-idiot.” 

The boy’s reply was with an indignant roll but resulted in a twinge of heaviness upon his head. He stifled the pained sound coming from his mouth by rubbing his head with care. 

It was uneasy when Zim was quiet, who was sitting down near the fire with a small grunt. It was eerily too quiet. The only noises he can hear now was the blizzard and the prickling of the flames. He wondered where he was right now. 

Just in time, he glanced Zim threw straight at his direction and Dib frantically caught it. 

Dib wanted to scowl back at the alien, but then he recognizes what he caught. It was his glasses. The lenses were opaque from the water frozen with it and it was dry. 

“Be glad Zim has also rescued your huge glasses from dying off your puny cold weather,” Zim snarled, though Dib can hear that it had no effort at saying it. He must be tired. 

Ignoring Zim, he melted the ice from the glasses with the fire and used his clothing to wipe the liquid away. Satisfied with the cleanse, he wore it warily, skeptical that Zim may have done something from his glasses. 

When he donned his glasses, he can see everything with sharp clarity. He takes a look around him and scanned the area. And noted that they were in a cave. The stalactites hanging up top, along with the ice and the stalagmites on the darker part of the cave. He looked at the bright light that illuminated the cave and saw the outside, consisting of the hail and the pine trees. Except that one pine tree was completely cut, only leaving the roots and the dirt on it. 

It was then he knew where Zim took the logs to fuel the massive bonfire. 

And finally, he surveyed Zim. Now that he can see visibly farther, it was clear to him that Zim looked tired. He was slightly slouching, his magenta eyes half-lidded and heavy breathing. He also noted that his disguise was nowhere to be seen, only seeing his antennae bent and the real alien eyes. 

After Zim noticing he was staring at him, he quickly averted to his clothing. He allegedly remembered he had only his sweater when he tried swimming in the water. Now, he had his jacket back and his scarf was neatly enclosed to his neck. He pulled the hood up, still quivering from the cold, but he managed when the fire is close. 

Thus, he pondered what happened at the time of his unconsciousness. 

“Hey, Zim?” Dib called hesitantly, not sure if his enemy would ever answer but annoying retorts. Zim jerked his head to him, giving a questioning look. “What happened?” Dib asked. 

Zim’s face became stern, that it seemed like he was constricting something. “We’ve been abandoned by the vehicle we’re supposed to be on because of YOUR FAULT!” 

Dib gawked at the blame, but shook it off. “That’s not what I meant! How did we get here?” Then, he pointed out at the alien, like he did something wrong. “Did you do something with my body?” 

“No, you stoopid human,” Zim hissed, accidentally snapping the stick he held to move the other burning sticks that can spread the fire better. A pop echoed through the cave, and Dib noticed an orb was released from the PAK to hover beside the alien. “Computer, show the information about hypothermia,” Zim orders, in which the orb illuminates a red color type of hologram. It showed data about the hypothermia. In which Dib didn’t need to read more than twenty words to understand what condition this was. 

“You mean, I have hypothermia?” 

Zim crosses his arm, scoffing, “Obviously, stink worm. Your feeble humans are so fragile, other planets lesser than us Irkens can even destroy your planet without difficulty.” Dib deadpanned, but gave a pensive look. If he did have hypothermia while unconscious, he should be dead by now. Why isn’t he? 

Hence, he was hit with the realization, snapping his head straight to Zim. “How did I survive?” 

Zim stiffened, his mouth fell into a thin line. Dib read the body language, and it meant that he was hiding. “What did you do?” Dib asked, weary and very suspicious about what happened while he was out of action. Whatever Zim did to make him still alive, it must be something evil like always. Then the alien grunted in aggravation, seeing that Dib was in accusation. “You stupid! I did not do something to your puny human body. I-” He gritted his teeth, cutting himself from saying... what? 

“What? What did you do?” Dib insisted. 

“Argh! I will not be bested by some season changer that can kill your stinky self,” He growled, standing up and walking towards Dib. Dib tried to scramble away, but Zim snatched his jacket, and hauled near him. “Remember this, human. I can only decimate your ugly head and body. I can only kill you as my greatest enemy. Be grateful for this chance of life, human Dib. I only spared you once and never again. You understood?” Zim stated gravely and menacingly that it gave Dib chills up to his spine. He nodded curtly, keeping his frightened state at bay for a neutral face, as if he didn’t care about what he said. 

“Get off me, you alien scum,” Dib sneered, shoving Zim away and releasing his grip from his jacket. Zim stumbled back but regained his composure just fine. Instead of fighting back, he sat down, looking drained by the whole thing. Dib may not know emotional intelligence, especially to aliens since some of the species outside this planet don’t have emotions at all (Like Zim and his species, but he doubts on it.), he knew when to shut his mouth from a tired person who needed silence. However, Zim is unpredictable ever since he just basically saved him from near death. He gathered from the past that Irkens is an unfeeling race. Their selves only derive from their PAKs and their bodies for them to be carried. They only serve what they were made to do. But the fact that Zim cared to get him to live by setting up the fire for him to be heated and roll the jacket to overly cover him, is perplexing him deeply. 

At the same time, though, he did help Zim from drowning. So, to say that Zim may have contemplated on why Dib did try to rescue him from the water, their confused thoughts are even and won’t ever speak up about this again. 

“The Voot should come up at any moment.” That got Dib to perk up. “You’re letting me ride on your ship?” 

Zim glared at him, “This doesn’t mean anything, Dib-worm. Zim still hates you and forever will. I need transportation and the Voot’s that only vehicle.” 

“So, you’re letting me into your ship?” 

Zim groaned, infuriated. “Yes, yes. BUT, you will not touch anything! I will make sure you -as my future slave and me as your future slave master- to be overworked,” And there goes his eccentric laugh, which Dib lightly ignored. 

The Voot arrived after their endless banter, well, ended. He was reluctant over coming to his ship, but Zim pushed him to do so, threatening him that he’ll him here to die except Dib knew it wasn’t true since he just saved him. Gir waved and greeted him inside, with Minimoose ‘nya’-ing in response. Zim drove the Voot away from the ground, flying past over the field of pine trees, easily brushing the rough blizzard by the ship’s advanced mechanics. 

Throughout the whole ride, they’ve been quiet for quite longer than they both expected. They could’ve started a banter about something so small or Dib questions his ship and Zim bragging about being the best. But that didn’t happen. It was silent for between of them, only the ones who were making noises were Gir and Minimoose laughing and talking in the background. Dib was muddled by questions and confusion, he wondered if Zim had the same dilemma. And when they approach their hometown (their?), Dib bit his tongue, wanting to say something before he regrets it. 

“Hey, Zim?” 

A small grunt of acknowledgment escaped from the alien’s throat. 

“Thanks. But I still hate you,” Dib said the words quickly, tilting his head away from his vision of Zim steering, the awkwardness settling in. This paused for a moment until Zim spoke, “You are the ugliest human I have ever met.” 

Dib opened his mouth to protest, but something whirred below him, and just like that, he fell down the ground. It wasn’t that painful as he expected. He noticed later that he landed on his house’s roof. Zim’s ship lowered, still hovering, and opened the round glass pane. “And I still have plans for Earth domination. So long human, you can’t stop me!” He laughed malevolently and immediately flew away just to end up at the next stop of his neighborhood, where Zim’s house resided. The boy rose up and stared at the horizon. 

“I can and I will stop you, Zim! Whatever it takes.” Were his last words before he thought about the belongings he had left on the bus. 

_Curse you, Zim,_ He sighed. 

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wondered about an Irken PAK if it does contain everything and the body is just a shell. I thought it would be a cool idea that the body has a soul of its own, away from the PAK. And since we saw what happened in Mopiness of Doom and Enter the Florpus, Irkens may not be just genetically modified species that only invade and conquer.
> 
> Or maybe Zim is a defect and the reason why he was having more emotions than any Irken. 
> 
> Or maybe the high possibility is that they abandoned the concept of emotions long ago and set on being selfish invaders.


End file.
